DAT North American Freight Index Rises 1.9 Percent, to Atypical October High

PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Spot market freight availability rose 1.9 percent in October, to a level that is atypically high for the season, according to the DAT North American Freight Index. Year over year, freight volume increased 24 percent, setting a same-month record for the fourth consecutive month. Load availability has remained elevated in the second half of the year, countering the more typical pattern of a second quarter peak followed by a decline in late summer.

October's strong spot market freight volume is consistent with economic indicators that point toward unexpectedly strong growth in October, in both the manufacturing and service sectors, including retail.

Additional trend information and analysis is available at DAT Trendlines or the DAT blog.

Reference rates are derived from DAT RateView. Rates are cited for line haul only, excluding fuel surcharges, which declined on both a month-over-month and year-over-year basis. The monthly DAT North American Freight Index reflects spot market freight availability on the TransCore DAT network of load boards in the United States and Canada.

About DAT

DAT, a unit of TransCore, is the world's leading freight marketplace platform and information provider. Through its solutions, DAT Load Boards, TruckersEdge, and DAT RateView, the company hosts over 90 million spot load and truck listings and compiles $20 billion of transacted shipment data annually, as well as automated carrier safety and insurance monitoring through DAT CarrierWatch. DAT is the trucking and transportation industry's preferred resource for real-time supply, demand, and rate analytics.